At its best, Christmas is a mix of new discoveries and cherished traditions. Holiday drinks should also create a balance between surprises and memories. Thankfully, you don’t need pricey or arcane ingredients to craft these seasonal celebratory toasts.

Bright side (pictured above)

The challenge with non-alcoholic drinks is to make them as bold and assertive as spirited ones. Chillies and ginger provide a heat that parallels that experience (a device frequently employed by 18th- and 19th-century spirits counterfeiters).

Makes 1 glass
fresh chilli 1
lime ½
salt
sugar a pinch
non-alcoholic spirit or kombucha 50ml
fresh lime juice 25ml
ginger 1 thumb, chopped
simple syrup 25ml

Rub a cut piece of chilli once around the rim of a chilled cocktail glass, then rub it with a cut lime. Dip the rim into a shallow plate of salt with a pinch of sugar mixed in.

Combine the non-alcoholic spirit, lime juice, ginger and simple syrup in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, then strain into your glass. Garnish with a fresh piece of cut chilli placed on the rim.

Winter spritz

Spritzes aren’t just for the warmer months. This is perfect for a sparkling winter evening.

Makes 1 glass
red wine 50ml
sparkling wine 50ml
sparkling water 50ml
ruby port 25ml

Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled wine goblet. Stir gently. Garnish with an orange twist and, optionally, a cinnamon stick.

Mulled gin and juice

Packets of mulling spices are available everywhere at this time of year. They save you rifling through the spice cabinet. Pour a bottle of gin into a wide-mouth jar. Add a sachet of mulling spices. Leave overnight, then remove the sachet the next day.

Makes 1 glass
spiced gin 50ml
cloudy apple juice 100ml
apple 1 slice, or 1 piece of lemon peel
grenadine 5-10ml, or pomegranate molasses (optional)

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled highball or rocks glass. Stir, then garnish with an apple slice or a lemon twist.

You can add grenadine or pomegranate molasses for a seasonal hue.

Instant eggnog

Eggnog has virtually the same ingredients as ice-cream – egg yolks, whipping cream, milk and sugar. Legendary bartender Harry Craddock worked this out in the 1920s at the American Bar at the Savoy, when he created the white cargo, blending equal parts gin and vanilla bean ice-cream. He garnished this frosty masterpiece with a grated nutmeg. For Christmas, try this classic with a dark rum or a scotch whisky.

Makes 1 glass
good vanilla ice-cream 50ml
aged rum 50ml, or whisky (or whiskey)
nutmeg

Combine the ice-cream and the spirit in an empty cocktail shaker. Shake without ice. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and grate nutmeg over the top.

Negroni punch

The negroni has passed the martini when it comes to gin drink sales in the UK. Its flavour profile works well for this delicious punch.

Serves 6
gin 100ml (use cranberry juice for a lower-alcohol serve)
bitter aperitif such as Campari 100ml
sweet vermouth 200ml
chilled espresso 50ml
chilled prosecco 350ml

Combine all ingredients in a punchbowl or large pitcher with ice. Stir lightly. Garnish with orange slices, star anise, cinnamon sticks, long orange and lemon twists, and fresh cranberries. Serve in punch cups.

Vegan white Russian

Coffee liqueur is effortless to make at home. Combine a cup of strong coffee or a few espressos with an equal measure of sugar to make a coffee syrup. Combine a measure of the resulting syrup with an equal measure of vodka or gin – plus a splash of cognac if you like. That’s it! The last one we made took 12 minutes from inspiration to first sip.

Makes 1 glass
coffee liqueur 25ml
vodka 25ml
oat milk 50ml (look for a barista edition or similarly creamy one)

Combine all the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Hot G&Tea

While gin and tonics are normally relegated to warmer weather, tonic syrup is now available in many shops and makes it possible to take the classic in new directions.

Makes 1 glass
boiling water 100-125ml
winter spice or cranberry tea 1 bag
tonic syrup 25ml (available online)
gin 50ml

Combine the water and tea in a mug and brew as normal. Add the tonic syrup and gin. Garnish with an orange or lemon twist, if you like. OFM

Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller are drinks consultants at Mixellany